Page 1044 - bleak-house

Such crowding reflections, increasing the distress and
fear I always felt when the name was mentioned, made me
so agitated that I could scarcely hold my place at the table. I
was quite unable to follow the conversation until I had had
a little time to recover. But when I came to myself and saw
how shocked my guardian was and found that they were
earnestly speaking of the suspected man and recalling ev-
ery favourable impression we had formed of him out of
the good we had known of him, my interest and my fears
were so strongly aroused in his behalf that I was quite set
up again.
‘Guardian, you don’t think it possible that he is justly ac-
cused?’
‘My dear, I CAN’T think so. This man whom we have
seen so openhearted and compassionate, who with the
might of a giant has the gentleness of a child, who looks as
brave a fellow as ever lived and is so simple and quiet with
it, this man justly accused of such a crime? I can’t believe it.
It’s not that I don’t or I won’t. I can’t!’
‘And I can’t,’ said Mr. Woodcourt. ‘Still, whatever we be-
lieve or know of him, we had better not forget that some
appearances are against him. He bore an animosity to-
wards the deceased gentleman. He has openly mentioned
it in many places. He is said to have expressed himself vio-
lently towards him, and he certainly did about him, to my
knowledge. He admits that he was alone on the scene of the
murder within a few minutes of its commission. I sincerely
believe him to be as innocent of any participation in it as
I am, but these are all reasons for suspicion falling upon

1044 Bleak House